Aridi: We reject March 14’s proposal, prefer to keep existing electoral law

Public Works and Transportation Minister Ghazy Aridi expressed hope on Thursday that the parliamentary elections will take place as scheduled, "where the Lebanese will express their political choices," noting that the issue of the electoral law is very essential and critical. “We are seeking consensus without having to exclude any party, since we live in a country where no party can be ignored”, he added.           

Following his meeting with ministers of the National Struggle Front and Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh, Aridi pointed that all parties have the right to present the proposals they deem suitable. In this context, he stressed that the National Struggle Front agrees neither on the draft law dividing Lebanon into 50 districts, nor on the proportionality law which was presented in various forms. However, he said that the NSF tends to prefer the current law.               

“In case a new formula of the electoral law failed to be reached, we already have a law based on which the elections could be held”, he said, ruling out any possibility to postpone the elections.